Things Went Wrong When

[Faye Fox]

Be serious or funny or a combo of both.

Things went wrong for boys when ...

The bicycle without the bar was made and labeled girls. It should have been for boys . One boy I knew in elementary school was a bike racer and attempted stunts. He claimed that girls and their barless bikes were uncapable of doing high speed wheelies. He was showing off, racing down a hill, then doing a wheelie, when he was unable to set the front wheel back down, lost control, veered right and slammed into the back of an old pickup parked by the curb.

Being a ranch girl, I was well aware of what medical procedure he underwent, because his testicles were slammed against that bar that said "not for girls." They were smashed to smithereens! It seemed the "girls" bike was designed more for boys, if safety had been considered. When I shared my inside wisdom with other kids that were clueless about his injury and surgery, I was scolded by my teacher and told that "when we have special knowledge like this, it is best kept to ourself."

In hindsight, I should have told that teacher that someone should have told Madame Maria Salomea Skłodowska Curie that, so I wouldn't have to hide under my desk.

 

[John Brunner]

You know, it makes one wonder exactly who decided that 'bike rack" should be something other than a place to carry your books. I suspect that the early population control groups held sway over Schwinn's engineering department.

 

[Ken Anderson]

I've always wondered about that, but I still wouldn't be seen riding a girl's bike, although I suspected it had to do with girls wearing dresses.

I would guess that when girls' bikes came out, it was at a time when girls were expected to wear long dresses, and the low bar was there to accommodate that, which I would expect was still a difficult process. Also, there was the feeling that boys were rougher on their bikes, and the high bar was structurally more sturdy. These, and the fact that more boys than girls rode bicyles and it was cheaper to manufacture them with the high bar.

 

[John Wick]

The Dutch all ride upright bicycles with a low bar, so do I. Since I'm not a professional racer I see no need to hunch over uncomfortably and swing my leg ridiculously high to mount or dismount, especially with a rear basket

 

[Tony Nathanson]

I've always wondered about that, but I still wouldn't be seen riding a girl's bike, although I suspected it had to do with girls wearing dresses.

I would guess that when girls' bikes came out, it was at a time when girls were expected to wear long dresses, and the low bar was there to accommodate that, which I would expect was still a difficult process. Also, there was the feeling that boys were rougher on their bikes, and the high bar was structurally more sturdy. These, and the fact that more boys than girls rode bicyles and it was cheaper to manufacture them with the high bar.

I always thought it was designed so a girl could get off the bike without swinging her leg over the seat.

 

[Marie Mallory]

I always thought it was designed so a girl could get off the bike without swinging her leg over the seat.

Marie said, she never thought of that especially since woman wore more dresses back then.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

This is exactly why they made women’s bikes without the bar, as Ken said, it was because girls and ladies back then wore dresses. I remember having to ride my bicycle with a dress on, and having that bar would have not been good at all. You would have to swing your leg over to get on the bike, and then the bar would be holding the skirt of your dress up in a very unladylike way. Girls were required to wear dresses to school when I was in school (all the way through high school dress code); so girls absolutely had to have a girls bike if you were going to ride it to school.

Nowadays, it seems like we see guys riding on ladies bikes instead of men’s bikes, and I have no idea why that is. At first, I thought it was because we live in a neighborhood where a lot of bikes are stolen one, and the thieves were able to get a girls bike easier, but it seems like it is only guys that we see riding a bicycle anymore.

 

[Faye Fox]

This is exactly why they made women’s bikes without the bar, as Ken said, it was because girls and ladies back then wore dresses. I remember having to ride my bicycle with a dress on, and having that bar would have not been good at all. You would have to swing your leg over to get on the bike, and then the bar would be holding the skirt of your dress up in a very unladylike way. Girls were required to wear dresses to school when I was in school (all the way through high school dress code); so girls absolutely had to have a girls bike if you were going to ride it to school.

Nowadays, it seems like we see guys riding on ladies bikes instead of men’s bikes, and I have no idea why that is. At first, I thought it was because we live in a neighborhood where a lot of bikes are stolen one, and the thieves were able to get a girls bike easier, but it seems like it is only guys that we see riding a bicycle anymore.

Very true, but the barless bike for girls was a modesty city thing and much too hoity toity for me. Country girls didn't ride bikes without a backbone.

I always wore a split skirt to school except on jeans Friday that came about in High School. I had a fat tired "boys bike" when I was a kid that I sometimes rode for a mile on our country road, to the bus stop. Most time I opted just to walk. A split skirt at knee length, didn't cause anyone emotional distress. More than 3" above the knee and all hell broke out.

Consider the fact that women once rode side saddle but things went wrong for the males that liked the dominance that offered, when the split skirt was invented.

I have a photo of my grandma and two sisters in their Sunday split skirts, getting ready to ride 15 miles to church. One of my great uncles said it was thunder road and he changed the saying, "Hell bent on leather" to "Heaven headed on leather."

 

[Ken Anderson]

I always thought it was designed so a girl could get off the bike without swinging her leg over the seat.

Because that would be unladylike.

 

[Ken Anderson]

Nowadays, it seems like we see guys riding on ladies bikes instead of men’s bikes, and I have no idea why that is.

They are marketing "girls' bikes" in different ways now, as step-throughs or using non-gender terminology. When I bought a bike last year, I considered that the low bar would be a lot easier for me to get on and off, but I still couldn't bring myself to buy a girls' bike.

 

[Mary Stetler]

This is exactly why they made women’s bikes without the bar, as Ken said, it was because girls and ladies back then wore dresses. I remember having to ride my bicycle with a dress on, and having that bar would have not been good at all. You would have to swing your leg over to get on the bike, and then the bar would be holding the skirt of your dress up in a very unladylike way. Girls were required to wear dresses to school when I was in school (all the way through high school dress code); so girls absolutely had to have a girls bike if you were going to ride it to school.

Nowadays, it seems like we see guys riding on ladies bikes instead of men’s bikes, and I have no idea why that is. At first, I thought it was because we live in a neighborhood where a lot of bikes are stolen one, and the thieves were able to get a girls bike easier, but it seems like it is only guys that we see riding a bicycle anymore.

Maybe they've just smartened up?

 

[Beth Gallagher]

They are marketing "girls' bikes" in different ways now, as step-throughs or using non-gender terminology. When I bought a bike last year, I considered that the low bar would be a lot easier for me to get on and off, but I still couldn't bring myself to buy a girls' bike.

Yes, heaven forbid anyone mentions gender when discussing an inanimate object. Wouldn't want any feelings hurt with that harsh verbal assault.

When I was a kid, I rode any kind of bike that was available. We were too poor to be picky.

 

[John Brunner]

I recall my first 2 wheel bike was a small child's bike that made its way to the states from Germany (my father's parents were German.) I sure wish we had hung on to that thing. I don't even have a picture. Then I got my older brother's Schwinn that was way too large for me. I had to mount/dismount next to a hill, where I could lean over onto the rise. Later came high rise handlebars (like the motorcycle gangs), banana seats and 3 speed shifters in the handlebar grip.

I got back into biking in my adult years and bought myself a nice Motobecane Super Mirage 15 speed touring bike. I still have it. It's a collector's item. I commuted to work on it for a while (12 miles each way in DC traffic.) I hooked up with a group that did rides on weekends. I'd bike 10 miles to meet up with them, go on the ride, then bike 10 miles back home. We'd also go on 3 day biking weekends.

It's been a while.